Feverish Pursuits
by Deanlu
Summary: Andy attempts to hide her illness from Miranda with almost tragic results.


**Feverish Pursuits**

**Devil Wears Prada is the property of 20****th**** Century Fox, Lauren Weisberger, and Aline Brosh McKenna. I am just borrowing them for some good old one-shots. This came to mind the other day. Andy attempts to hide her illness from Miranda with tragic results.**

**Deanlu**

Andy moved quietly from the master bedroom Miranda and she shared heading down the hall stifling another cough. She had come in late to find Miranda and the girls already in bed. The last couple of weeks had been overwhelmingly busy trying to complete deadlines. The young reporter sometimes felt she met herself coming and going. The cold that now clung to her sweaty, feverish body had started out as nothing more than a sniffle eight days ago, but had progressed to a full blown cold now. She could barely draw a breath without coughing. She shivered from the chills that plagued her body causing her to think that a hot cup of tea would help immensely. The reporter moved down the hall toward the stairs that led to the kitchen the soft glow of a nightlight in the hall helping direct her wavering walk. She briefly stopped again using the wall as support while the young woman suppressed another in an attempt to not alert the business weary editor in the bedroom. She shook from the effort to keep herself quiet. She was happy the girls had left earlier in the evening for their fathers, though not before extracting a promise by phone from Andy to take them skating in two weeks when they returned. Andy had chuckled a little, but agreed. She already missed the two young ladies. Now in their sophomore year at Dalton they were starting to show the inner fire from their mother and the outward beauty. James claimed their tendencies toward pranks were his fault, but Andy knew that it was combination of both their parents.

Andy had been hiding her illness from the editor because Miranda was due to fly out tomorrow for Paris. Already the luggage had been picked up to clear customs ahead of time. Roy would be there in just a few hours to whisk the editor to the airport. Andrea wanted to make sure Miranda was healthy for the trip so she had judiciously avoided the editor the last few days only connecting through phone calls, love notes, and late night arrivals home. Miranda would fly out tomorrow and be none the wiser to Andy's illness. Then the young reporter could rest for a few days to heal and recover. Andy made her way down the stairs clutching the bannister to keep herself upright. A few steps from the bottom a wave of dizziness made her stumble. She gripped the rail tightly so as not to fall and sank down heavily to the step. Pain lanced through her chest causing her to cough uncontrollably for a few moments robbing the last of her strength. The young woman leaned heavily against the railing closing her eyes. If she could make it to the kitchen for some hot tea and rest at the table she was sure all would be fine. It seemed like just a moment later when she heard her love call her name.

"Andrea?" She felt cool hands run over her forehead and down the sides of her face. "Andrea can you hear me? My God you're burning up." Andrea could hear everything Miranda was saying, but couldn't get her eyes to open. Andrea could feel the air move around her as the editor moved away. A few minutes later a cold cloth ran over her forehead. Miranda was speaking, but Andy couldn't identify to whom. "Yes, quickly, you need to hurry. Thank you." Miranda's trembling voice said as Andy heard the editor's phone disconnect. "Andrea, please wake up. Please." She heard the fear and worry in Miranda's voice as she begged the young woman. The world swirled into darkness as Andrea felt Miranda's arms wrap around her still running the cool cloth over her brow.

The next thing Andy became aware of was the soft angry words of her lover as she was speaking to someone. "I don't care Nigel if Michael Kor's new line is major fiasco deal with it. I cannot be there right now. Well, maybe you should think about that!" Andrea could hear a weary sigh fall from the editor's lips. "No, the doctor says its bacterial double pneumonia. They drained her lungs and began her on amantadine, an antibiotic, to attempt to eradicate the infection. She is on oxygen and receiving fluids intravenously." Andy heard a shuddering breathe rack the editor's normally confident tone. "Doctor Marcom said if Andrea hadn't been brought in by me she wouldn't have made it on her own. Her fever was a hundred and two when we got into the emergency room. She was wheezing so bad that I thought she would stop breathing." Andy was shocked. She was sure she wasn't that sick. Sure, she had been having trouble taking breath in and out, but she was sure it had been bronchitis. Yeah, she had been tired. Maybe she hadn't eaten enough lately, but surely it wasn't that bad. If it wasn't that bad though, why couldn't she find the strength to open her eyes or even find the strength to move? "No, I totally blame myself. Both she and I have been working so hard that we haven't seen each other in a week and a half. I will let her know when she wakes Nigel. Thank you for covering for me." There was a slight pause coupled with a sniff. "Yes, well thank you. That's all." There was a rustling of papers and the sound of something being set down then Andy felt those beautiful fingers running through her sweaty bangs.

"You have to wake up love. It's immensely tiresome talking to you without you responding," Miranda said with some asperity. The editors' voice softened though as Andrea knew it would. "Please wake up. I have never seen you this sick love. You're normally the strong one caring for all of us." Andrea felt those loving hands continue to caress her face and arm trying to impart some comfort. The editor seemed to falter some suddenly speaking of the fashion shows in London. "Nigel says Michael Kor's offerings this season are not up to his normal standards. I guess one must have a bad season every once in a while." The editor chuckled then, "He saw your former paramour Christian Thomas." Andy wanted to argue that he wasn't a paramour, but a really bad one night stand. "It seems he tried to chat up Serena. I would have loved to have seen Emily's face. Fortunately for the young man, Serena verbally eviscerated him even getting a jab in for you." Andy could hear the sound of tinkling water in the back ground. A cool rag ran over her face, arms, and hands. "Yes, he was very lucky. Emily would have killed him and buried the body where no one could find it. She has really blossomed in the last few years in the Art Department. The girls send their love. James will bring them by as soon as the doctor allows it. They have made you a sweet card with origami flowers on the outside. It says, "To our Andy who makes all our days filled with sunshine and love. Please get well soon. Love Cass and Caro. PS…Please, please, please get well soon. We need you."" Miranda could barely contain the sob. "They are such good girls. You are doing a wonderful job with them. So you just get well so we can have you back home." Andy drifted off to sleep on a wave of deep, effusive love from her family.

When next she drifted into consciousness her face was covered with a mask and she felt a moist vapor that seemed to ease her breathing. She could tell the bed was elevated somewhat and she felt hands shifting her to her other side. She heard the rumble of Doug's voice mixed with someone she couldn't identify. "So how were you able to get Ms. Priestly to go home?" the person asked. She heard someone shift in the nearby chair.

"I had Lily reason with her. Lily is always able to get Andy to do things, so I figured she could get Miranda to go home change, have something to eat, and take a short rest. Lily went with her to make sure she would be okay. Andy wouldn't have wanted it any other way." Doug said as Andy felt him take hold of her hand. "Would you darling?"

"Well, I am going to check my other patients. Let me know if she wakes." The voice stated and Andy heard the door open and close. The young woman now knew it was the nurse who had come in on her rounds.

"Girl, you have got to wake up fully. Come on Andy, you can wake up. I know how you love to sleep in girl, but this is taking it too far. You have Miranda all beside herself. She says it's just like you to not listen to anything the doctor says and take your sweet time. You really need to wake up baby girl." Doug sighed a shaky sigh and then Andy felt his hands pull away. Next thing she heard was him obviously stretching because there was a cracking on bones that was familiar to her. She heard the chair creek and his footsteps as he walked around the bed. He was quiet for a while until he came back and too her hand again. He chuckled before continuing. "Do you remember the Christmas party Andy when you were on the ladder? Remember how you reached over a little too far to place a decoration on the tree? You fell so suddenly none of us had time to move. I remember you gave Miranda and the girls quite a fright when you hit your head. I thought she was going to have a heart attack when you were unconscious. It sure changed Christmas what with you having a concussion and all. But you know I have never seen Miranda so gentle and completely open as I did that night. I finally understood why you loved her so much. So baby girl you have to wake up. The doctor says you're doing better, so come on. "As Andy began to drift off again she heard the door to the room open and the gentle waft of perfume that always heralded Miranda's arrival. Try as she might Andy could not remain awake as the soft perfume ushered her into sleep.

Andy woke to the feeling of a heavy weight on her left arm. She moved ever so slightly as she opened her eyes and took a ragged breath. It was still painful to try and breath, but the sight of a slightly mussed Miranda with a small amount of saliva running out of the edge of her mouth onto the blanket next to Andy's hand made the young woman's heart clinch.

"Mira..an…an..da…" Andy's voice cracked after so long being unused. The editor didn't move. Andy moved her hand gently caressing the beautiful white locks on Miranda's head. The editor snuggled into the movement and settled again. Andy smiled and attempted to speak again even as a vicious cough robbed her breath away. When she finally could take a breath without coughing she noticed a hand firmly placed against her chest and another behind her head easing her back on the bed.

"Easy, easy Andrea. That's it…slow easy breathes." The older woman continued to talk to her calming the young woman till she was able to open her eyes and speak again.

"Water." Andy asked. The editor shook her head. Instead she gave some ice chips to Andy. Afterwards, Miranda moved to the door calling to someone and moved back to the bed.

"The nurse needs to check you before you have water. I can only give you ice chips." Miranda said leaning over and hugging Andy's hand and wrist to her face as tears ran down anointing Andy's arm. "I have so missed you love. Thank you for waking up." Andy smiled slightly as a burly nurse entered the room.

"Well, you've decided to rejoin the land of the living. It's about time. You've had this one worried to death!" The nurse said as she pointed at Miranda. The editor looked angrily at the nurse softening her look slightly when she looked back to Andy.

"I knew she would wake up when she was ready." But the emotion in the editor's eyes told Andy she had not believed that.

"I'm….not…leaving!" Andy firmly rasped out as she looked Miranda steadily in the eyes. Miranda nodded as she closed her eyes. A single tear tracked down her face only to be captured by Andy's shaking hand. She had worried the editor terribly scaring her into a whole new realm of fear. The nurse glanced between the two of them while she checked Andy's pulse, temperature, breathing tubes and intravenous tube.

"No, you're not." The nurse said as she fluffed the pillow behind Andy. "I will be right back." The nurse moved out of the room giving the two women a moment. The moment the door clicked shut Miranda rose out of her seat. Andy's pulse picked up as she watched the anger rise in Miranda's eyes.

"Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me!" Miranda growled out softly adding a whole new dimension to the word fear for Andy. "Don't you ever hide from me how sick you are! I love you or doesn't that mean anything to you?!" Andy shook her head to the affirmative too scared to say anything at first. Finally, courage won out.

I…love..you…just…wanted…you to…not have…to worry…Paris…" God, it was tiring to speak the reporter thought as she took another breath getting ready to go on when soft fingers placed on her lips stopped her. Andy looked into worried, fearful eyes shocked by how small the editor seemed right then.

"Silly girl." Miranda whispered sadly. "Don't you know how totally lost I would be without you. How totally desolate my life would be? Paris is nothing to the importance of our love. Promise me Andrea you will never hide your illnesses from me again." Andrea saw the depth of hurt she had caused her wife and closed her eyes briefly.

"Yes, as long…as you…do the…same," came the sickly rasp from the younger woman when she opened her eyes. Miranda narrowed her eyes gauging the young woman for a minute and nodded.

"Agreed." Miranda said firmly and engulfed the young woman in a gentle hug. "I thought I was going to lose you." Miranda quietly sniffed even as tears ran down her face.

"Never! Not even death could separate me from you Miranda." Andy said softly as both women clung to each other in strength and love. The nurse peaked into the room smiling and left the two women alone.

_**4 **__**Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.**____**5 **__**It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.**____**6 **__**Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.**____**7 **__**It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)**_


End file.
